Track for track-laying vehicles



Jan. 8, 1946. T. J. HOLLENKAMP TRACK FOR TRACK-LAYING VEHICLES Filed March 20, 1945 FIG.|

INVENTOR THEODORE J. HOLLENKAMP BY damn/2M),

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 8, 1946 (Gran ee; "uridei' a an amend The?invention;describedahereini'may :be meinufactured andiusedrbyad ioretheufiovernmentiionr? governmentab purposes without-the; payment-liter menfianyroyalty thereoms'.v

Theipresent' ihvention;pertainsitoranovel track 35 Ion-:tracic-iIayi-ngwehiclesnsuctr.,,sas,nfor' example, combatstankse and: alsdarto itheizblockzzor dink task; anseleme'nt OiBSlIChna JSITaCK-Lit It1- has sbeenacustomary to.requipithejtrackgwithe heavy irubberritreadsw and azthennetali portion; or $.10 skeletoneofa'athe' ztrack was designed accordingly; With the shortagezofirubbenaitbecamefnecessary a to elimii'iateEthetreadaand gtoprovidet ai;s-ubstan: tially all-metala'traclebutnthemew? designs weretri merelyiadaptations rzmodifieationssiofrthe orig r inal -irubben-carryingishapes: V

Therobjectsofiithisuinventionris :110 eprovi-de ami a1l-metali1track i'designed independently; of -;.the mbiir ztreadatypesrz anduncorporating the best; ,1;- known characteristics. of'ztraclritdesign; Such: track-F1 is desirable, rindepen'dentlysroizthaarubber scarcity qiromiithe standpoint otadurabi-litg; simmi plicity and veconomwin manufacture.

Oriezbtethe desirable properties eis, increaseda'r Figii're-flisa arsideeleyation dnsoneg ef the-blockse partly in:section;.zw.- V. Figure 13 l is amend viewccorrespondirig m :Fi

ure::1;-x:= i i V c Figure ;4 is; iiiisecliidriioiiithe' linefi of ziF'igure-m Lander I 1 Figure 5 is a section on the line:.kioiiEigurewlu Reierencexto :th'ese views will now the rrnadeaby se-:2 of likeecharactersz which hare;semployed'rtorn designate qcorresporidingiparts throughout: ":5

Th'exatracieliszxcarriedsandslaidfliyrithaavehiclez for: example, a t'combatatankiandrconsists :of eair endlesstigchainuof :b-lofcksi corresponding: to links: Each bloeleiisxa,fourssidedssteel member otielon gated'rconfiguration havingayeplainerbodyzpontion i and iitsxshorter sidearm-endsconvergingittoward eachi'other: zasrindicated'iat-i 2.: r Alongsone; roiizthem longer edges is. ior-meda 'b0SS'i'01Uh0lilSlngiT3 -lyll lgiiii atsonmsideinf-the plane fithez' membe For convenience thisw side i-willibeedesi'gnated sathe outerr: side; :Thexbossnis iinterrupted orriformed Wlthffi; transverse. :opening- 4,. midwayibetween pits ends; and :each ;;of *rthe :sections;v thus rtormedai again divided substantially intdi halvesizbyi'nars track width rtoxprovide optimum groundzpressure '25 rowersslotszia 5-;

without unduly increasing the weight. In facfini the weigntgrorsaeiven lencthjrandawidth is decreased.

Another desirable property incorporated in the invention is a provision for driving the track through the block or link rather than through the hinge pin connecting the blocks. This result is accomplished by forming the driving lug as an integral part of the body of the block. Also, as an integral part of the block there is formed a center guide adapted to move between two coaxial bogie wheels. The various parts extending from the body of the blocks as integral portions thereof are so designed that the block with its appurtenances can readily be formed by molding.

In the assembled track, the invention contemplates a continuous rather than, a divided hinge in joining adjacent blocks, The joint elements are apertured fingers extending from one block into slots formed in a boss in the next block. '45 The pin fits rather snugly in the fingers and consequently follows the relative displacement of the fingers lengthwise of the track, or in a direction radial of the pin, This movement of the pin is absorbed in surrounding resilient bushings which line the sections of the boss,

The invention'is fully disclosed by way of ex ample in the following description and in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a pair of joined blocks;

Alongzzithele opposite: longitudinalztedge ggofiitheiir bOdXtQOItiOYE I, Iand at the? outemsidexitheieofinis formed a curved flange 6 in complementary relation to the boss 3' and terminating in a grouser 1, Along the same edge and at intervals correspond.- ing to the spacing of the slots 4, 5 are formed a wide finger 8 and narrower fingers 9 projecting in parallel relation to the plane of the portion I. The fingers are respectively receivable in the slots 4 and 5 of an adjacent block and are apertured at ID- to register but not coincide with the interior surface of the boss in which they are inserted, At the end of the same edge are formed similar additional fingers ll adapted te engage the ends of the adjacent block as shown in Figure 1, A t e r ser 1' e te ds f o t 12 55 a 9? which it is an integral part. This grouser is interrupted at the slots 4 and 5 shown in Figure 1.

In the center of the block and on the inner s ace thereo is r e a u d co pris in. this case, a pair of spaced transverse cheeks I; joined by a b 3, Th e pa t a l as ot er parts already mentioned and presently to be de: scribed are preferably formed integrally with the body portion I, The free ends of the cheeks preterably converge toward each other at it, while the entire guide lies between two bOgie wheels A engaging the inner surface of the'track as shewn in Figure 2.

Near each end of the block, a lug l5 extends outwardly from the inner surface of the track weight.

' headed atboth ends.

through portion I. The lug is curved as shown in Figure 4, and the convex side I6 thereof is engaged by correspondingly shaped teeth on a sprocket wheel, whereby the track is driven. Between each lug and the boss 3, the body portion I is relieved at H to admitthe driv- 7 2,392,883 r. it lends itself to manufacture by molding, with ing sprocket wheelyand similarly the ends of the body member mayberelieved at l8 to reduce Along each end of the body portion 1 is formedv a flange 20 extending outwardly,coextensively highly desirablecharacteristic.' v

By reason of the improved'design, a track of given length and 24".inches wide weighs about 5500 pounds, while a conventional steel track "iofrthe same length and 16 inches wide weighs with the lug l5 and merging'into the boss 3 and V the plate 6. From the boss 3 the flange is con-' i tinued as a reinforcing rib 2| around the edges;

of the openings 11.

Each section ofthe boss 3. is lined with a rub- Y ber'or similar resilient bushing 22 which, with the corresponding boss section, is received lee-1 tween consecutive fingers of the adjacent block, as shown in Figure 1. -A single hinge pin 23-is then passed through the alined'bushings and fingers, fitting closely in the latterr The pin is formed with a peripheral groove 24 at one or I more of the fingers, and a locking pin 25 is passed through the finger to lie in the groove and is Eachpin 23 and the inner wall of each boss 3 fingers at the opposite edge-of said body and in jalinement with said-slots;v a guide projecting 1 from the inner side of said bodyand disposed.

arenickedlongitudinally and oppositely at 26" 1 and 21 respectively to prevent rotation of the intervening bushing '22.relatively to these parts. Relative movement ofadjacent blocks sets up a torsion in the bushing. In fact the blocks are assembled at a 15 angleIto setup torsion in the. straight parts of the track. As the block'schange theirdirectionat the sprocket wheels, their momentum tends to resist-the change. 'The initial torsion opposes thisv tendency.

"side of said guide,said surfaces having-an open- I ing adjacent to each lug for entrance of a v about 8300 pounds.

' Although 'a' specific embodiment of the invention has beenillustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing V fromwthescope of the invention as indicated by,

the appended claims' What I claim is: l. A track block comprising anelongated'body having plane wheel-engaging surfaces, a boss,

formed along one of the longitudinal edges there.-. of and having spaced transverse slots, apertured between said surfaces, driving lugs projecting outwardly from said surfaces and at each sprocket wheel to engage theilug. r

2. A track block comprising an elongated body having plane wheel-engaging surfaces; a boss formed along one of the longitudinal edges there.-v

- The close fit of the hinge. pin 23 in the fingers causes the pin to be shifted laterally when the fingers are displaced laterally. of the adjacent block or lengthwise of the'track. This movement of the pin is absorbed entirely in the resilient bushings 22. 1 r r It is now evident that simplified construction and. requires a minimum of metal; Moreover, it is of suchdesign that:

the blocl: is Tof greatly;

of and having spaced transverse slots, apertured fingers at the opposite edge of said body'and-in alinement with said slots, 'a'guide projecting-im wardly from the inner side of: said body. and dis- -posed between saidsurfaces, said-guidejhaving, 7 1 40 two opposed cheeks respectively facing said; surfaces, driving lugs projecting outwardly from: said surfaces at each 'sideof said guide, said sure faces having, an 'opening adjacent toeach lug for entrance of a sprocket wheel to engage the-: 451ugJ' THEODORE J. 

